New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers

Attached Thumbnails · 04-05-2019, 07:18 AM

Michael Thomas continued his ascent to become one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in 2018, but his fellow New Orleans Saints receivers struggled to consistently provide help last season.

It was just two years ago the Saints had an enviable trio of receivers with Thomas, Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead, but after trading Cooks in 2017 and letting Snead leave in free agency last year, the team struggled to find suitable replacements.

Thomas had an incredible 2018 season with 125 catches for 1,405 yards, but the next most productive receiver was rookie Tre’Quan Smith, who had just 28 catches for 427 yards.

Ted Ginn Jr., Cook’s replacement, missed much of last season due to injury as did Cameron Meredith, the presumed free-agent replacement for Snead. Keith Kirkwood, another rookie, showed promise, but all in all, the receivers behind Thomas struggled to make an impact on a weekly basis.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Saints depth chart

Michael Thomas

Ted Ginn Jr.

Cameron Meredith

Tre’Quan Smith

Keith Kirkwood

Austin Carr

Simmie Cobbs

Travin Dural

Potential Day 1 (first round) selections

D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss

Marquise Brown, Oklahoma

A.J. Brown, Ole Miss

Parris Campbell, Ohio State

Riley Ridley, Georgia

Potential Day 2 (rounds 2-3) selections

N’Keal Harry, Arizona State

Deebo Samuel, South Carolina

Kelvin Harmon, NC State

Hakeem Butler, Iowa State

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Stanford

Andy Isabella, UMass

Emanuel Hall, Missouri

Anthony Johnson, Buffalo

Terry McLaurin, Ohio State

Potential Day 3 (rounds 4-7) selections

Mecole Hardman, Georgia

Jalen Hurd, Baylor

Miles Boykin, Notre Dame

KeeSean Johnson, Fresno State

Diontae Johnson, Toledo

Terry Godwin, Georgia

Jazz Ferguson, Northwestern State

Keelan Doss, UC-Davis

Hunter Renfrow, Clemson

David Sills V, West Virginia

Gary Jennings Jr., West Virginia

Darius Slayton, Auburn

Penny Hart, Georgia State

Jakobi Meyers, NC State

Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Texas

Tyre Brady, Marshall

Stanley Morgan Jr., Nebraska

Travis Fulgham, Old Dominion

Olabisi Johnson, Colorado State

Preston Williams, Colorado State

Greg Dortch, Wake Forest

more on NOLA

K Major · 04-05-2019, 08:27 AM

I really like these guys on Day 2 ...

Riley Ridley, Georgia
Hakeem Butler, Iowa State (I don't think he drops to #62).

2019 draft has so much top talent on the DL you might see some OL, WR’s, and DB’s fall.

Barry from MS · 04-05-2019, 11:33 PM

There will be good value at WR after the 4th Rd this year. Deep group. Watching Keesean Johnson, Jakobi Myers, or Hunter Renfrow in the 5th or hopefully 6th/7th.

K Major · 04-06-2019, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Barry from MS

There will be good value at WR after the 4th Rd this year. Deep group. Watching Keesean Johnson, Jakobi Myers, or Hunter Renfrow in the 5th or hopefully 6th/7th.

He caught damn near everything thrown to him at Clemson. Chain mover, mentally tough & reliable on 3rd down. I think he could become a solid slot receiver at the next level.

ChrisXVI · 04-06-2019, 03:25 PM

I can see us taking a guy like West Virginia WR Gary Jennings in the 5th or 6th round.

jeanpierre · 04-06-2019, 07:04 PM

There are guys that will be there in the 7th and UDFA who can run underneath routes and challenge Austin Carr and Simmie Cobbs...

This may be the deepest draft without marked drop-off in WR talent in years...

I'd also point out we have two rookie WR from last year returning who will have a full year of NFL-level conditioning/training as well as coaching/development from Coach Curtis Johnson...

And we were a Top 3 offense as things were last season...

K Major · 04-09-2019, 09:38 AM

I want another WR via NFL draft. No more undrafted guys ... please.

If Michael Thomas misses any time then what?

Scary thought if you asked me.

K Major · 10-27-2019, 10:55 AM

Bump ...

Based on our current situation at WR, thought I'd bring this one back.

Any chance we make a trade for a wideout/TE prior to next Tuesday's trade deadline?

Tre Smith (he's been out for almost a month) and Cook are still nursing ankle injuries that can linger. Six (6) months later, IMO we still have "issues" at these skill positions.

K Major · 11-06-2019, 10:44 AM

I heard Bobby Hebert mentioned this stat the other day on Michael Thomas ...

CGM has 579 more receiving yards that the next WR on the roster & 43 more receptions.

Yikes !

SmashMouth · 11-06-2019, 10:46 AM

Isn't Grayson still out there for the picking? I heard he has speed to burn.

04-05-2019, 07:18 AM	#1
Threaded by SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 36,979 Blog Entries: 29 Rating: (0 votes - average) Michael Thomas continued his ascent to become one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in 2018, but his fellow New Orleans Saints receivers struggled to consistently provide help last season. It was just two years ago the Saints had an enviable trio of receivers with Thomas, Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead, but after trading Cooks in 2017 and letting Snead leave in free agency last year, the team struggled to find suitable replacements. Thomas had an incredible 2018 season with 125 catches for 1,405 yards, but the next most productive receiver was rookie Tre’Quan Smith, who had just 28 catches for 427 yards. Ted Ginn Jr., Cook’s replacement, missed much of last season due to injury as did Cameron Meredith, the presumed free-agent replacement for Snead. Keith Kirkwood, another rookie, showed promise, but all in all, the receivers behind Thomas struggled to make an impact on a weekly basis. WIDE RECEIVERS Saints depth chart Michael Thomas Ted Ginn Jr. Cameron Meredith Tre’Quan Smith Keith Kirkwood Austin Carr Simmie Cobbs Travin Dural Potential Day 1 (first round) selections D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss Marquise Brown, Oklahoma A.J. Brown, Ole Miss Parris Campbell, Ohio State Riley Ridley, Georgia Potential Day 2 (rounds 2-3) selections N’Keal Harry, Arizona State Deebo Samuel, South Carolina Kelvin Harmon, NC State Hakeem Butler, Iowa State J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Stanford Andy Isabella, UMass Emanuel Hall, Missouri Anthony Johnson, Buffalo Terry McLaurin, Ohio State Potential Day 3 (rounds 4-7) selections Mecole Hardman, Georgia Jalen Hurd, Baylor Miles Boykin, Notre Dame KeeSean Johnson, Fresno State Diontae Johnson, Toledo Terry Godwin, Georgia Jazz Ferguson, Northwestern State Keelan Doss, UC-Davis Hunter Renfrow, Clemson David Sills V, West Virginia Gary Jennings Jr., West Virginia Darius Slayton, Auburn Penny Hart, Georgia State Jakobi Meyers, NC State Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Texas Tyre Brady, Marshall Stanley Morgan Jr., Nebraska Travis Fulgham, Old Dominion Olabisi Johnson, Colorado State Preston Williams, Colorado State Greg Dortch, Wake Forest more on NOLA Attached Thumbnails jeanpierre likes this.
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04-05-2019, 08:27 AM	#2
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,030 Blog Entries: 3	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers I really like these guys on Day 2 ... Riley Ridley, Georgia Hakeem Butler, Iowa State (I don't think he drops to #62). 2019 draft has so much top talent on the DL you might see some OL, WR’s, and DB’s fall. Barry from MS and SmashMouth like this.

04-05-2019, 11:33 PM	#3
Barry from MS Site Donor 2014 Join Date: May 2007 Location: TEMPO VC Okefenokee Swamp Posts: 1,985 Blog Entries: 2	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers There will be good value at WR after the 4th Rd this year. Deep group. Watching Keesean Johnson, Jakobi Myers, or Hunter Renfrow in the 5th or hopefully 6th/7th. jeanpierre and K Major like this.

04-06-2019, 01:12 PM	#4
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,030 Blog Entries: 3	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers Originally Posted by Barry from MS There will be good value at WR after the 4th Rd this year. Deep group. Watching Keesean Johnson, Jakobi Myers, or Hunter Renfrow in the 5th or hopefully 6th/7th. He caught damn near everything thrown to him at Clemson. Chain mover, mentally tough & reliable on 3rd down. I think he could become a solid slot receiver at the next level. MarchingOn likes this.

04-06-2019, 03:25 PM	#5
ChrisXVI 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 11,482	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers I can see us taking a guy like West Virginia WR Gary Jennings in the 5th or 6th round. Barry from MS likes this.

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04-06-2019, 07:04 PM	#6
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers There are guys that will be there in the 7th and UDFA who can run underneath routes and challenge Austin Carr and Simmie Cobbs... This may be the deepest draft without marked drop-off in WR talent in years... I'd also point out we have two rookie WR from last year returning who will have a full year of NFL-level conditioning/training as well as coaching/development from Coach Curtis Johnson... And we were a Top 3 offense as things were last season... Barry from MS likes this.

04-09-2019, 09:38 AM	#7
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,030 Blog Entries: 3	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers I want another WR via NFL draft. No more undrafted guys ... please. If Michael Thomas misses any time then what? Scary thought if you asked me.

10-27-2019, 10:55 AM	#8
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,030 Blog Entries: 3	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers Bump ... Based on our current situation at WR, thought I'd bring this one back. Any chance we make a trade for a wideout/TE prior to next Tuesday's trade deadline? Tre Smith (he's been out for almost a month) and Cook are still nursing ankle injuries that can linger. Six (6) months later, IMO we still have "issues" at these skill positions.

11-06-2019, 10:44 AM	#9
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,030 Blog Entries: 3	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers I heard Bobby Hebert mentioned this stat the other day on Michael Thomas ... CGM has 579 more receiving yards that the next WR on the roster & 43 more receptions. Yikes !

11-06-2019, 10:46 AM	#10
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 36,979 Blog Entries: 29	Re: New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL draft outlook: Wide receivers Isn't Grayson still out there for the picking? I heard he has speed to burn.